One day every union General Secretary will write like this...

I don't usually draw much attention to the blogs that get added to 4glengate's blogroll. They just appear, somewhere in the middle of the list, and I hope that readers find them interesting or useful. However, I've just found (via Grimmer Up North, for which thanks go towards Hebden Bridge) the blog of National Union of Journalists' General Secretary, Jeremy Dear.

Now I already knew Jeremy was a "good bloke", having heard him speak at several events over the last few years, but his blog is excellent - blending the "what I've been doing" stuff which from a Gen Sec can actually be interesting if it isn't just a list of his speeches and articles, with some assessment and comment. Despite being a trade unionist in the public eye, Dear is willing to discuss negotiation meetings he's been to, pass comment on current events and campaigns, and generally use the blog as a means of communicating with his union's members.

His report of the NUJ conference last month is particularly good, and in stark contrast to the official reports of UNISON's recent health conference. I understand that he's a journalist, and therefore has some advantages to the rest of the union movement in terms of being paid throughout his working life for his ability to communicate clearly and interestingly, but really, isn't it time some other union leaders had a go at it?